This invention relates to hammers used in the brick and rock-working industry. Workers in the brick, rock, and stone-working industries frequently use a brick hammer for breaking and shaping construction materials. A conventional brick hammer, such as one seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,257, and which is incorporated herein by reference, provides for an enlarged and relatively heavy head with a relatively flat face used to strike a brick or other similar building material. Opposite the head, the hammer defines a rear terminus having a cutting edge which can be used to score a brick or to provide a sharp cutting edge.
Conventional brick hammers are made of a relatively soft steel which may be easily cast into a desired shape. The softness of the steel provides adequate strength for the purpose of shaping bricks and concrete blocks. However, when brick hammers are used in the working of rock and natural stone, the soft steel quickly wears and greatly shortens the useful life of the hammer. Further, the face of the brick hammer tends to wear unevenly when working rock. The uneven wear is a result of a user's dominant hand which creates a wear pattern on the hammer's face. As the face of the hammer slopes as a result of the uneven wear, the hammer is unable to provide accurate and effective blows, particularly when used on harder materials such as rock or stone.
The soft steel used in the construction of a typical brick hammer also causes the sharp cutting edge to rapidly wear away when used on rock and natural stone. As a result, the soft steel used in a conventional brick hammer brings about a rapid loss of the desirable shape and features of the hammer.
Traditionally, workers of rock and natural stone have relied upon commercially available brick hammers as their primary stone working tool. Heretofore, there has not been a rock hammer specifically designed for use with rock and natural stone. Accordingly, there is room for improvement and variation within the art of hammers useful for working rock, brick, and masonry.